Unity
by freakingcrups
Summary: For the prompt, 'The Beautiful Side of Evil.' Harry throws a party and the Slytherins are invited. Theo/Harry SLASH.


**Title:** Unity  
><strong>Author:<strong> freakingcrups  
><strong>Pairing:<strong>Theodore Nott/Harry Potter  
><strong>Prompt:<strong> The Beautiful Side of Evil  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Word Count:<strong> 1,607 words.  
><strong>Summary:<strong> A unity party, a dance and discovering the beautiful side of evil.  
><strong>Author's Notes:<strong> Thanks to my beta, saintgilbert (LiveJournal). I appreciate it, darling.  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I do not own Harry Potter. I do not make any profit from this story.

Unity

Harry never quite understood the reasoning behind why he did it. At one point, it was for unity, for bringing together two groups of people who apparently hated each other for no specific reason. He had decided after the war that the hatred was planted in their minds by the older generations and it was uncalled for. So, he made an agreement with Professor McGonagall and a unity party was planned in the Great Hall. He expected next to none to turn up, but greater numbers entered than he was anticipating, Malfoy and his gang included.

Harry attempted to talk to Malfoy and he was greeted with a strained kindness that seemed to be replicated in the other inter-house interactions taking place. Hermione talked to Parkinson, who dubiously peered at the bushy haired girl, and Ron tried a conversation with Zabini.

During the evening, Harry noted one particular male that seemed to stand on his lonesome though, in the darkest corner of the room, leaning against a wall. He couldn't quite make out who it was, but with some help from Malfoy – who said it was Theodore Nott – Harry had decided to approach him.

"Hi, I'm Harry." Harry held out his hand and smiled.

The other male snorted, not reaching for the outstretched hand that could evaporate numerous old house rivalries. Nott cocked his head as he stared at Harry. "I know who you are, Potter."

Harry hesitantly lowered his hand and frowned. He had seen Nott around various times at Hogwarts and he never seemed to follow the old traditions of insulting Muggleborns or Halfbloods. Quite the contrary, he had helped them on numerous occasions as a Slytherin attempted to hex them. He was never one to follow groups of people, especially not Malfoy's group, or so Malfoy had told Harry.

"Thank you for coming," Harry tried again, smiling.

"You really care about house unity or are you trying to look good for the papers?" His drawl seemed much deeper than Malfoy's and a lot more intimidating.

Harry snorted. "I care, Nott, and if you don't think so, you can just leave, yeah?"

Nott ignored his suggestion to leave and pushed himself away from the wall. His arms were crossed over his slim chest and his eyebrows were knitted together, his eyes – an electric blue – surveyed Harry from top to bottom. He was taller than Harry, but a lot of people were.

"Prove it."

Harry was tired of trying to prove himself to people. He reached to push his glasses further up his nose as they slid down a little and grunted. "How?"

"Dance with me."

The command surprised Harry. It wasn't asked nicely, quite the opposite. It was a demand, giving Harry no choice as to whether he should or not. By saying no, he would be showing Nott that he was only doing this for the papers, or at least give the Slytherin that idea (even though it wasn't true). At the same time, he had reason to say no. It was a slow song that couples were slowly waltzing to at that moment, and by dancing with Nott to it, the dance would be considered romantic in nature. Harry was gay, whether Nott knew that or not was unknown, but he never really had or wanted to chance to 'flaunt' it in front of other people. He hadn't even been kissed by another man, he had never really had the chance, not with the war and Voldemort.

"What?" He grimaced when he realized he sounded like he was choking on a dry throat.

"Dance with me," Nott repeated in the same tone as before. He raised a dark eyebrow and tapped his foot impatiently.

Harry glowered, realizing that he had no real way out of it, and nodded. He spun on his heel and strode towards the dance floor – where, he was happy to see, some inter-house couples were already dancing. As soon as he reached it, he turned, hands out as though he was the lead. When Nott stopped in front of him, he snorted and wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled Harry's body flushed against his own.

"This isn't the Yule Ball, Potter," Nott snickered.

Harry felt his cheeks heat in embarrassment. He didn't know how to dance other than what he was taught in the Yule Ball, but even that dancing was shocking. He glanced towards Hermione and Ron, who stood beside Malfoy and his gang. They were all looking at him in surprise. It only made the embarrassment worse and he was already stumbling on his feet.

"Relax, Harry," the words were whispered with a hot breath against his ear. It made Harry shiver. "What you are doing, it's good, you know?"

Harry swallowed, resisting the urge to rest his head on the firm shoulder near his face. It looked comfortable. "Change your mind, did you?"

Nott chuckled. "Anything to get you on the dance floor."

Harry pulled back enough to stare at the brazen smirk and smouldering blue eyes. "What?" The meaning of Nott's words felt like a slap to the face. "Are you saying…?"

"Yes, Harry, are you that dense? I wanted to dance with you." Their bodies rocked to the music and even with Harry's uncoordinated feet, they fit together perfectly. Both slim with defined muscles, Harry felt comfortable being chest to chest with Nott – no … Theo.

"Why didn't you just ask me for a dance?" Harry questioned, this time giving in to the urge and resting his head on Theo's shoulder. Hermione was smiling at him, but it seemed for once in their life, Malfoy and Ron saw eye to eye as they stared at Harry and Theo with their mouths wide open in astonishment. Even Parkinson seemed to be fighting a small smile that threatened to break out on her face. She tugged on Malfoy's arm, but he ignored it. Harry just grinned at all of them.

"Slytherin."

Theo said it as if the word meant something, and it did. Theodore Nott was a Slytherin who did things in a way only a snake could, cunningly. Harry admired it.

"How did you know I was gay?" Harry asked quietly, closing his eyes as they gently swayed with the soft, love music.

"How could I not? You have a habit of checking out Malfoy's arse." The comment was followed with laughter. It made Harry flush again and he turned his head to burrow it in Theo's neck. "It's okay though, I check out his arse all the time. It's a nice arse. You should see him when he's naked; it's too bad he's straight."

Harry snorted into the warm neck and drew back to stare at Theo. He licked his lips nervously. "Bubble butt then?" It was an attempt at a joke and it worked in making Theo laugh again.

He shook his head. "Nope. Quite flat actually. Your arse is a bubble butt though."

Harry's eyes widened and his face flushed harder than before with the growing embarrassment. The song ended and a faster, quick beat song came on through the charmed radio they had set up. He took a step away from Theo and nodded hastily as he turned on his heel and pushed his way through a crowd. He heard his name being shouted behind him, but it only caused him to walk faster until he found himself in the courtyard and breathing in fresh air.

He sat on one of the chairs and closed his eyes, listening to the birds chirp as they settled for sleep and watching the sun sprinkle its last rays of light over Hogwarts.

"Harry?"

Harry opened his eyes and glanced over his shoulder. "Sorry." Instead of looking at Theo for any longer, he stared at some of the remaining rubble that was still being fixed from the war. A statue had already been built of Dumbledore as a reminder of it all, with the dates of the first and second war written in the stone on a slab below him. Dumbledore sat in a chair and was currently giving Harry a little wave. Harry waved back.

"Don't be." Theo sat beside Harry and smiled at him. "I like you, Potter."

Harry nodded. He could already see that, which is what made him nervous. In a matter of less than ten minutes, Theo had him caught in a trance that sucked him into the idea of having someone for himself. Someone he could love and be with.

"Go out with me. Just once for a try, if you want." Theo sounded desperate and Harry's heart ached at hearing that desperation.

"Okay." Harry grinned at Theo. "Okay."

Theo grinned in return and leaned over to press a soft kiss on Harry's lips. It was Harry's first kiss with a man and it was so much better than the snog with Cho. He hummed at the feel of the gentle lips against his own.

Theo glanced towards the Great Hall, where through the open doors they could still see people dancing and laughing. Even Ron and Malfoy seemed to be talking about something that had them smiling.

"That is the beautiful side of evil, Harry. This war has brought people together."

Harry smiled as he, too, stared at them. "Yes, yes, exactly."

After that night, Harry planned another party. He never quite understood the reasoning for the second party, or the third, or the fourth. It wasn't about unity anymore, because they were united now. Overall though, he had a feeling it was just because he wanted to spend time with his boyfriend, Theodore Nott


End file.
